The Ukrainian government is coming under increasing criticism in
the German media for imposing military rule on the country in response
to a pandemic.

The Ukraine yesterday said it would close all schools in the
country for a week, and suspend basic rights such as the freedom
of movement and assembly.

In addition, some border crossings to Slovakia have been closed.

The latest crackdown comes as the government said a planned election
might not be held on schedule because of the pandemic.

The President is expected to declare a state of emergency any
day heralding the beginning of rule by presidential decree.

Konstantin Bondarenko, head of an insitute in Kiev, told the
Russian newspaper "Trud" that the current wave of sickness
was no worse than the usual seasonal flu.

He said that there were political forces that wanted to profit
from portraying themselves as saviours of the nation, according
to a report in the German news magazine Der Spiegel.

Whatever is causing so much sickness in the Ukraine -- whether
it is a pneumonia plague bioweapon intentionally released or another
virus, -- it is clear that the government is using the pandemic
to undermine democracy in the Ukraine, a country brought to its
knees by a corrupt clique of oligarchs in government, who have
enriched themselves at the expense of the people and whose grip
on power has been shaken by violent protests.